February is looking to shape up to be a big month. MWC is now over and we’re seeing some truly awesome stuff from there. However, MWB 2014 isn’t the only big things that happened this month. There were some truly awesome Android apps to come out and we rounded up the best ones so you can check them out and see if they improve your mobile experience. You can read below or watch it above!
[Price: Free]
Even though medical apps aren’t all the rage we found that we really liked the AADE Diabetes Goal Tracker. For those new to diabetes or if you just need a place to organize your information, this is a good app to try out. It focuses on setting and keeping goals and if used properly it has the capacity to really help those struggling with the disease. The interface is a tad outdated but it’s still quite usable and it’s free to use.
[Price: Free]
Blink is a new messaging application that focuses on privacy and since privacy is a big concern right now, we thought this app belonged here. It has a more mainstream design which sets it apart from most of its competition. It has most of the features of your standard messaging services but also includes privacy features like off-the-record chatting and self-destructing messages. It’s free to use so it’s definitely worth a look.
[Price: Free]
If you happen to own a Chromecast, then Castaway is an application you should definitely check out. Our own Kevin Nether put this app head to head with Koush’s AllCast with some pretty surprising results. This app allows you to stream local content to your Chromecast from your Android device. It features a Holo interface, surprisingly easy functionality, and aside from the occasional hiccup, a pretty solid performance. It’s free to use in the Google Play Store and if you want to see Kevin’s review, check out the video above and skip to the end where we have it linked!
[Price: Free]
Dormi is a baby monitor turned into a smartphone app. The app is free to download but there is a subscription service charge to use that. If you don’t mind that, what you get is really the best smartphone baby monitor app available today. It will adjust noise levels automatically so you can hear what’s going on, it’s discreet when you’re using your phone, and you can even check notifications on the device you’re using at the actual baby monitor. It’s a great tool for parents.
[Price: Free]
We reviewed EverythingMe Launcher earlier this month and found it to be a pretty good launcher. It’s claim to fame is its constant use of context to bring you stuff. You can search for things, use smart folders, and use the prediction bar to get the information and apps you want when you want them. It lacks customization features and the ads are a bit of a pain sometimes but otherwise it’s a great launcher if you’re into having more context in your life.
[Price: Free]
Mig 2D is a free to play, scrolling shooter not unlike many of the arcade games of times past. As you can imagine, there are boss fights, weapon upgrades, more than a dozen levels, and you get to blow things up. Some people have lamented the repetition but really they knew what they were getting into when they downloaded the game. Also, there are in app purchases should you choose to buy them so don’t go in letting those catch you off guard either.
[Price: Free]
Mikey Shorts is one of those fun games suitable for all ages that is just enjoyable to play. There are over 80 levels in 2 game modes to play, 170 disguises you can unlock by collecting coins, race against a ghost you to beat your fastest times, and a lot more. You can even customize the controls. It’s only a buck to get it and in our opinions, it’s a dollar well spent.
[Price: Free]
Who doesn’t like fine art? Muzei knows dem feels and has released an open source live wallpaper to bring the classics to your Android home screen. With this app you can choose your favorite art pieces and the app will cycle through them so your wallpaper is an ever changing slideshow of awesome art. Fun fact, the app’s name is actually a Russian transliteration of the word “museum”. Oh, and it’s free too!
[Price: Free]
Play to Cure: Genes in Space is a one of the most unique games I’ve ever seen. Here’s how it works. Scientists are always analyzing cancer data to try to find a cure. Some clever game developers have found a way to turn this tedious activity into an arcade/action space game where the concept has you collecting a material called Element Alpha. You play the game, they download your game data, and it helps them analyze the cancer data more quickly. It’s really quite brilliant and it’s free to play so there’s no reason not to at least try it. For science!
[Price: Free]
Shardlands is a gorgeous atmospheric 3D action puzzle adventure game with 25 levels, great graphics, and some pretty decent music. How it works is you swipe where you want your character to go and they go there. You then must find secrets, solve puzzles, and work your way through the level to win. It strikes all the right chords and it’s definitely worth a play through and best of all, it’s free to play!
[Price: Free]
Slam Dunk 2 is a fun little time waster game where you must shoot the ball into the basket repeatedly to beat an opponent doing the same thing. The scoring is a little screwy and the mini games are dumb, but the game itself is rather enjoyable. Much like other time waster games, this really won’t ring the bells of hardcore gamers, but it’s still a good way to waste a few minutes without committing to a longer game.
[Price: Free]
Like its predecessor, The Room Two is a beautifully done puzzle game that has you searching for clues, unlocking secrets, and figuring out puzzles in a world of crisp, sharp graphics. It shows improvement in almost every area from the first game in the series and that includes length. It’s one of the must have games of 2014 so you should just go pick it up now. It’s worth all $ 3 the developers ask for it.
[Price: Free]
As we mentioned earlier, privacy is all the rage these days and TimePIN is a particularly ingenious application that helps you keep your phone secure. The premise is simple. TimePIN changes your lock screen PIN based on what time it is. In other words, it changes every minute so people cannot use the same old techniques to get into your phone. You can add extra stuff if the time isn’t good enough for you like reversing the numbers or adding more. It’s well done and a must have for privacy fiends.
[Price: Free]
Type Machine solves a problem all of us have dealt with before. Here’s what it does. It saves everything you type in every app. So if you accidentally close it out, lose it, or the app crashes, you can go back, grab what you typed, and continue on where you left off. I don’t really need to explain all the uses for this because in your mind right now you’re thinking of that time you closed out of your favorite social media app after typing a 4 paragraph diatribe about something. It’s $ 2 and let’s face facts, you’ve spent $ 2 on things less useful than this.
[Price: Free]
Last up this month is VH1’s official app which has finally made its way to Android. With this app you can login using your cable provider credentials and watch full TV shows, get sneak peeks, video shorts, and more stuff from VH1. One of my favorite features is the ability to use this as a companion app which means you can get additional content from the app while you watch a VH1 show on your TV. I wish more TV station apps did things like that. Anyway, it’s free to download so if you like their programming, it’s worth checking out.
There are thousands of Android apps released every month and it’s very conceivable that we may have missed a few really good apps released in February. If we did and you want to tell us about them, shoot us a comment and tell us about it! If you enjoyed this list, don’t forget to check back next month for our best of March.
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